Snipe House
Note: This map, is only where I roughly presume the airfield might have been. If anybody can confirm this, or better still add a more precise location, this will be most welcome.
SNIPE HOUSE: Military Landing Ground (Also known as ALNWICK)
Military users: RFC/RAF 36 (Home Defence) Sqdn
Location: Just N of Snipe House, roughly 1nm W of the A1 and 3nm SSW of Alnwick
Period of operation: 1917 to 1919
Site area: 33 acres 366 x 750
NOTES: When I started this research, (was it really just after the glaciers melted over the UK, it seems so long ago?), I’d have merrily assumed somebody doesn’t know their NNE from their SSW. Surely there couldn’t have been two aerodromes near Alnwick used by 36 Squadron. But, it now seems pretty certain there were. It was years before I realised the RFC in WW1 were operating from over 700 established flying sites within the UK. With all the glory going to the dog fights over the Western Front it’s difficult to appreciate today just what a hold the perceived threat of bombing raids by German airships and bombers really had and the huge but largely ineffectual defensive system put in place to counter these infrequent raids to areas like the north east of England. Plus of course a large deal of effort, especially by airships, was expended on searching for German submarines.
Plus of course there was the training regime, which by all accounts killed more pilots and aircrew than those lost in combat. Can this be correct?
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